The Rubber Duck Deficiency
by ColeMermaid3000
Summary: Penny slips in the shower, but different to the show, Leonard is whom runs to the damsel in distress.


**So I definitely enjoyed this episode and how it showed Sheldon's soft side and proves how much he cares about Penny. However I've always thought of how Leonard would've done anything to help his poor damsel in distress. Clearly I have a Lenny obsession still going strong, so I wrote this little one shot of them, however if it gains a lot of interest I might extend it.**

* * *

"Leonard help! Leonard!" Leonard was sat at his desk when he was suddenly startled by Penny's calls. He jumped up from his desk and immediately headed to her apartment.

""Penny?" He asked as he opened the front door, clearly concerned.

"Just come in! And hurry!" He did so and headed into the apartment, starting towards her bedroom. He could head the water running in the bathroom. "Penny? Are you okay?"

"Just get in here. I'm in the bathroom" She called, sounding really distressed.

"Should I shut my eyes?"

""Oh come on Leonard, we've slept together it's not like you haven't seen me naked. I'm in a towel anyway!" She exclaimed. Leonard thought for a moment, then shrugged entering her bathroom. "Oh my god what happened?" He asked. Penny was half covered in a towel, the water still running from the shower as she led awkwardly in the tub. Leonard immediately turned the water off and grabbed her bathrobe from the back of the door. "I slipped in the shower and I think I dislocated my shoulder."

''Oh god Penny. Here let me help you up." Penny clutched her bad arm and Leonard hooked his arm around her as she sat up and stepped out of the tub. She sat on the edge of the tub doubled over in pain. She shut her eyes tight trying to cope, moving had definitely increased the pain. "It definitely looks dislocated.''

''You don't say?" She retorted, before pausing. "Sorry…"

"No problem. Here, you must be cold." He wrapped her bathrobe over her shoulders, allowing her to put one arm in and tuck the other inside. Tying it gently. She cried out in pain, clutching her arm. Leonard had never seen her so worked up. "Do you need an ambulance?" He asked, panicking slightly. Penny shook her head,

"That'll take too long."

"We need to get you to the emergency room. Come on, let's get you dressed." Leonard headed out into her bedroom and began to search through her chaotically organised drawers, until he pulled out shorts, a tee and underwear. Penny sat on the bed, squinting once again in agony, trying her best not to curse out loud.

"Here." Leonard softly said as he helped her put on her panties and shorts. Once her bottom half was covered she released the towel, letting it fall to the floor. Standing, she waited for Leonard to awkwardly help her into her bra, he fumbled around with the clasp before, after several attempts, hooked it together. Then he pulled one of her oversized t shirts over her head, leaving her bad arm and shoulder tucked inside to save her from moving it, and causing her anymore pain. "Come on Penny. Let's go."

"Just give me a minute." She said. Leonard stepped back away from her and headed out of her room. "Let me grab my keys and we'll go." Within a minute he had gone to his apartment to grab his keys, and headed back to Penny who was struggling to pull her boots on whilst sitting on the couch. He quickly headed over to her, bending down and helping her to put them on. "Thanks sweetie."

"No problem.'' And they headed to the hall.

* * *

"Just go slowly. The stairs are really gonna jostle your shoulder, we don't want to make it any harder to pop it back into place than it already will be."

"Thank you Leonard for putting that lovely image into my head."

''God. Sorry, what was I thinking?" He sighed to himself, shaking his head… He took Penny's free hand and held it as they stepped down each step, slowly, together. "Ow. Ow. Ow." Penny whined as they stepped down each step. The staircase seemed to last forever, until finally they were at the bottom. Leonard held the door open for her and the same for when she climbed into his car. "Want some help with the seatbelt?"

"It's fine. I'm sure I can manage." Penny said as she turned slightly to move and reach the belt with her good arm. She bit her lip and shut her eyes in pain once more. "Look, you don't have to put on a brave face for me Penny." Leonard said, as he reached over and buckled her in carefully.

"Thanks" She sighed. Leonard got into the driver's side and carefully pulled away. He took extra care with his driving, although he had to anyway as he took Sheldon everywhere, and he would complain otherwise. He slowed gently for every red light, and came almost to a stop when he hit a bump. It may have taken them slightly longer to get to the ER but Leonard didn't want to hurt Penny.

* * *

When they had finally managed to find a space in the parking lot, Leonard helped Penny out of the car and shut the door behind her. They headed straight for the glass sliding doors, "You go and sit down," Leonard instructed, "I'll let them know you're here and get the paperwork." Penny nodded, pressing a kiss to his cheek before finding a chair to sit down on. Leonard headed to the reception.

''Hi. My girlfriend slipped in the shower, it seems she's dislocated her shoulder pretty badly, she's in a lot of pain."

"Alright," The receptionist replied, "You need to fill out these forms, then it'll be a wait. Lucky for her shoulder dislocations come as a high priority for us. There's only one man in front of you who is having 'chest problems'." The receptionist tilted her head slightly, the man in question was sat playing a game on his mobile phone, grinning at it intently.

"Thanks." Leonard headed towards Penny and sat beside her, starting to fill out the paperwork.

"Don't you need my help?"

''No I got this."

"You remember my birthday already?"

"Of course I do." Leonard said surprised. He continued to fill out, the type of injury, how it occurred, and medical conditions. Leonard didn't need to ask her anything, there wasn't much he didn't know about Penny. He handed the paperwork back to the desk and sat down beside her once again.

"Leonard?"

""Yeah?"

"I'm in a lot of pain, and I'm scared."

"I know you are. There's no need to worry, we won't be waiting long and they'll get you fixed right up." He softly spoke to her, letting her lie her head on his shoulder. It wasn't long until Penny was called into the doctor's office, where she was sent straight for x-rays, it was obvious something was wrong. Once the x-rays were back, she was called straight into a bed where they prepared to relocate her shoulder. Leonard sat beside her bed, holding her good hand. "Leonard…I'm kind of, I dont know, freaking out." She started to tear up.

"Hey…It'll be fine. You won't even feel a thing, you'll be dosed up on painkillers and if it's that bad, asleep." Penny sighed leaning back. The doctor had decided, due to the severity of the dislocation that they would anaesthetise Penny. Leonard was allowed to stay with her until she was asleep before being asked to leave whilst they carried out the procedure. It only took 15 minutes for them to re-position her arm, before tightly securing it against her chest with a sling. Before she had even stirred Leonard was allowed back into the little room. She started to come around pretty soon. He brushed the stray hairs off her face, "Hey…" He whispered.

"Hey…" Penny whispered back before giggling. Clearly the anaesthetic hadn't quite worn off, and the pain relief was certainly working. Penny tried to sit up, Leonard pushed gently on her chest to ease her back down. "You don't wanna do that Penny."

''Oh come on. Don't play Mr. Authorative with me now." She giggled. Leonard couldn't help but smile slightly at her drug addled talk. He sat down beside her, the nurses explained they would have to wait a short while until the medication had worn off before they could leave.

It was growing later into the evening.

"Pssssst. Leonard." Penny giggled again. Leonard found himself smiling at her, as he usually would.

''Yes?" She took his cheeks and squeezed them together with her good hand.

"You are my hero. A geeky, handsome hero." She leant and pecked him on the lips before releasing him and lying back, her face screwing slightly in the pain.

Leonard had pulled out his cell phone, as bad as he felt for recording her, he knew when the pain returned later she'd need something to lift her mood. She sat silently for a moment, before she started to giggle to herself once again. Leonard looked at her, and began to laugh to himself.

''Now what's so funny Penny?"

"I was just thinking…"

"Thinking what?"

"'Thinking about a secret."

"A secret. What secret?"

"Thinking about how much I love Leonard. But shhhhhh." She held a finger to her lips, now whispering" Dont tell him that." Leonard smiled at her, she'd always been worried about things moving too fast, but apparently all fear had left her with the medication she was on. "I love you Leonard."

He only could smile at her, she was so confused. "Aren't you gonna say it back? Don't you love me?" She stuck out her bottom lip at him, producing her best puppy dog eyes.

Without hesitation he replied, "I love you too Penny." Now satisfied, she led back down again. Leonard smiled to himself, he was glad he had caught that on video.

* * *

They waited a few hours until the drugs had completely worn off and Penny was no longer talking nonsense, before Leonard could take her home. With her arm tightly kept against her chest in the sling, the car ride was much more manageable. Not to mention that her bones were now all back in place. Her shoulder however was still the size of a balloon and very sore. For the next few days, it would need to stay in the sling, she was told for 6 weeks it needed to be treated with care, which much to her liking meant she couldn't go to work. "What a shame!" She had exclaimed, "How can I waitress with one arm?" They stopped at a Denny's on the way home to grab a grilled cheese, since neither of them had eaten that evening. Then climbed the stairs and headed into Penny's apartment, Leonard held every door for his girlfriend to make her life as easy as possible."You need to get some rest." He said, guiding her towards her bedroom, it was getting late. Penny climbed under her thick covers, he quickly adjusted her pillows until she was sat propped up on pillow, before tucking her safe and snug into the ''Aren't you gonna stay?" She pouted at him. He hadn't planned on staying the night, but to Leonard, she was irresistible. And besides it was the weekend.

"Of course I am." He smiled, "Let me just grab some pajamas and I'll be right back." She smiled at him, knowing she had gotten her way. It was unusual to see her so vulnerable for once. As promised, Leonard swiftly returned and climbed into bed alongside her, after placing a glass of water on each night stand. "You tired?" Penny was already midway through a yawn, "I'll take that as a yes." He smiled at her, running a hand down the side of her face and into her hair. She could only smile back at him, their eyes meeting as she did. "You know the best part of you being hurt? That you're going to have to let me take care of you." She rolled her eyes at him, he was so caring.

Penny began to shuffle a little in bed. Snuggling deeper into the covers, when the intense throbbing returned to her shoulder. She shut her eyes hard, biting her lip whilst it past. Leonard noticed and placed a hand on her leg, trying to comfort her. "Here let me help," He gently pulled a pillow out from behind her so she was led down, and pulled the covers right up over her. She was finally led comfortably on her back. Leonard lay down beside her, after switching out the lights, and wrapped an arm gently over her stomach. "Goodnight Penny." Leonard spoke softly. But Penny was already fast asleep, gently snoring. And soon after, Leonard was asleep right beside her.


End file.
